Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 4, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
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Six men are on trial in London for an arson attack linked to Russia's Wagner group, highlighting concerns over foreign influence and security threats.
LONDON (Reuters) -Six men went on trial on Wednesday over an arson attack which prosecutors say was carried out on behalf of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group against a business in London that shipped goods to Ukraine.
Four of the group are accused of aggravated arson on the Ukrainian-linked premises on an industrial estate in east London last March. Two others face charges of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.
They deny the charges.
The goods the business shipped to Ukraine included satellite equipment from Elon Musk's Starlink.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny told London's Old Bailey court the arson was "calculated criminality – but it was at the behest of foreign influence".
He said that while those on trial may have been acting for "good old-fashioned greed", the men directing them were doing so on behalf of the Wagner group, banned by Britain as a terrorist organisation.
Penny said the arson was organised by Dylan Earl, who had contacted Wagner on Telegram and last October admitted a charge of aggravated arson and being reckless as to whether lives would be endangered.
Earl also became the first person to be convicted under the new National Security Act (NSA), brought to crack down on hostile activity by foreign states, when he admitted preparatory conduct to carry out acts which endangered life or created a serious risk to the safety of the public in the UK.
Another man, Jake Reeves, 23, pleaded guilty in November to charges of aggravated arson and admitted a charge under the NSA of obtaining a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service, the prosecutor told the court.
He said Earl and Reeves were also involved in a plot to carry out arson attacks on two other London businesses, a wine bar and a restaurant, and to kidnap the owner.
The British authorities have accused Russia or its agents of being behind a number of spy plots and sabotage missions in Britain and across Europe, with the UK's domestic spy chief saying Russian operatives were trying to cause "mayhem".
The Kremlin denies any such involvement and says London repeatedly blames it for anything "bad" that happens in Britain.
Paul English, 61, Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, Jakeem Rose, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, deny aggravated arson. Dmitrijus Paulauska, 23, and Ashton Evans, 20, deny knowing about terrorist acts but failing to disclose the information.
The trial continues.
(Reporting by Michael Holden, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Four of the men are accused of aggravated arson related to a Ukrainian-linked business, while two others face charges of failing to disclose information about the arson.
The prosecutor stated that the arson was driven by 'good old-fashioned greed' but was organized on behalf of the Wagner group, which is banned in Britain as a terrorist organization.
Dylan Earl is identified as the organizer of the arson, having contacted Wagner through Telegram and previously admitting to aggravated arson.
Dylan Earl became the first person convicted under the new National Security Act for his involvement in the arson, which was part of a crackdown on hostile activities by foreign states.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the arson attack, claiming that London often blames Russia for negative events occurring in Britain.
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